COUNCIL bosses are to bring in consultants as the battle over building wind farms hots up.

Members of Vale Royal Borough Council's executive group will meet tomorrow to decide whether to approve a £60,000 study.

It comes as two developers propose wind farms at Oxheys Farm near Little Budworth, and Aston Grange Farm, Aston, near Acton Bridge. Protesters are outraged.

Members of Acton Bridge Parish Council say a wind farm at Aston would ruin the countryside.

They claim the generators, more than 400ft tall, would be both visible and audible from parts of Acton Bridge, and neighbouring villages.

Weaver Vale MP Mike Hall said: 'If granted, these four turbines would have a detrimental effect on the beautiful amenity of the Weaver Valley, they would be out of character with the countryside environment and would constitute an unacceptable development in the designated green belt of Vale Royal.'

Developer Tegni Cymru wants to erect four wind turbines giving the site the potential to supply about 6,700 homes annually.

A report to the executive group, due to be considered tomorrow said: 'The Local Plan does not provide detailed guidance to assess individual proposals for wind turbines.

For the council to be in a more informed position to respond to such proposals, more detailed work would be necessary.'